Current-motor.



S. HICKS.

CURRENT MOTOR. APPLIOATION FILED JUNI129,1912.

Patented Sept. 2,1913.

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STANLEY HICKS, 0F NORTH". YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 29, 1912.

fatcntcd Sept. 2, 1913. serial No. 706,573.

To all 107mm# may concern Be it known that I, STANLEY Hicks, residing at North Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State oil lVashington, have invented certain new and useit'ul VImprovements in Current-lVlotors, ot' which the liollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class ot' current motors in which the current wheel is adapted to be submerged in any river, or brook, artificial.water-falls, or any other water body, in which there is a swiiit current.

My invention seeks to provide a current motor, or water wheel of the character described more especially designed lor use at places where the propulsive powers of a moving body oit water could not otherwise be economically utilized and my said invention :further has for its purpose to provide a current motor of a very simple and cconomical construction, which may be readily put up without the aid o skilled labor or special machinery, and in which the parts are cooperatively so arranged that they are not easily injured by debris passing down the stream and which will effectively serve 'for its intended purposes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a current drive wheel having an improved construction of wings or blade members whereby to concentrate the torce of the water against them for acquiring a maximum impelling power oit the ci'lrrent, and at the same time causing the current of the water to continuously flow to the outer edge ot the said wings or blades, and in such a manner lthat the current is held within its natural course, as well as overcoming the tendency ot a flow of water racing to the center or axial point of the wheel, thereby preventing eddies or back pressure against the wings or blades.

lV ith still further objects in view that will be hereinafter apparent, my invention consists in the peculiar combination and arrangement oit the parts hereinafter t'ully described, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective Vview oit my invention, and the same illustrates, in a general way, an operative aplvilication thereof. F ig. 2, is a plan view of a plurality oil my improved current wheels attached to a power transmitting shaft. Fig. 3, is an end lView of one set of blades or vanes, the shaft therefor heilig shown in section. Fig. 4t, is a detail perspective view oit one ot theblade supports carried on the shaft.

In the practical application et my improved current motor or wheel, as many of the said wheels are mounted on a common shaft 1 as the condition of the current into which the wheels are to be mounted, and the character ot the mechanism to be operated, may make it desirable.

In Fig. 1 o1 the drawings, I have shown my construction ot' current wheel mounted in a creek or sluicesway and the shalit is journaled in bearings 2 secured upon the lower ends oil hangers 3, pendent from the cross timbers l which are supported on the banks o't' the creek and which are braced to the vertical extensions ot the members 3 which latter, in turn are joined by a longitudinal or head timber 5.

My invention is embodied in the wheel structure and the same comprises a central support l0, which in the simplest and cheapest form of my invention is a piece of timber centrally apertured as at 1.1 for the passage of the sha'l't, it beingl made fast to the said shaft to turn therewith in any approved manner. The opposite ends o1 each supporting member 1() are beveled at an acute angle to the shatt 1, and upon each of the said beveled ends is bolted a laterally projecting arm 12. Upon each oi the cross arms 12 is mounted a wing or blade '1,3 preterably termed oit sheet metal bent to the desired shape and securely bolted to the side of the supporting bar that faces the current, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ol the drawings, by reference to which it will also be noted that the beveled edges ot the arm 12 are relatively such that the pairs o't' arms 12 with their blades are inclined in planes at approximately right angles to each other, the reason :for which will presently appear. Each blade 13 comprises a body that includes a liat impacting -face 16 and a Vflange 1.7 that is bent foli'wardly from the tace ot the said blade and at approximately right angles thereto as clearly shown in the drawings. The flange 17 of each blade iucludes a 'forward or water penetrating portion that is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the shaft 1. and a rear portion that is substantially parallel with the inner edge oit the blade liace 1G, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 ot the drawing. The flanged edges ot the blades are termed oil two integrally connected portions disposed at an obtuse Cil angle to each other. As before stated, the blades or wings are mounted at acute angles to the shaft, and the two opposite blades of each set relatively at right angles to each other, and by reason thereof it follows that when the blades are set in the current with their flat faces 1G facing the incoming stream, the current in engaging the blades is continuously deiiected to-ward the outer edges of the blades and in its nat-ural course, the inclination of the flanges causing the current, as it passes over the blades, to effect a secondary by reason of striking the flanges as it passes outwardly thereagainst. Again by reason of' the relative inclinations of the blades, it is apparent that since the uppermostblade inclines in the direction of movement ofthe incoming current, and the lowermost blade inclines toward the said incoming current, the latter thereby receives the maximum force or impact of the current and it, in con sequence, creates a continued rotation of the shaft l in one direction. Another and important advantage obtained in the construction and arrangement of my vblades is that the said blades in turning cut the water at substantially right angles to the current and hence the frictional resistance of the wheels in rotation through the water, is reduced to the minimum.

By reason of the peculiar set of the wheels to the current, the water receiving face of the wheel blades have each two inclinations with respect to the direction of the current, and since these are at right angles to each other, one of the faces receives the direct impulse or impact force of the current wheel, thev other face or inclinations causing a slanting pressure of the impacting water that creates a commutative force that produces a powerful and continuous rotation of the wheel from a slowly moving current.

When using a'plurality of my improved wheels on a common shaft, the said wheels A are set so their blades are positioned at right angles to each other, the advantage of thus setting the wheels being apparent from Fig. 3 of the drawings which shows when thus set, four wings or paddles stand in the line of the current 'for simultaneously acting upon. Another advantage developed in my type of current wheel is, that the creating of eddies or back pressure o-n the blades is eliminated and the danger of the fluid wedging between the blades is also overcome.

The power transmitted to the shaft may be taken from a pulley 45 thereon and belted to a pulley on a driven shaft mounted on top of the framing.

What I claim is: Y

l. A water wheel having its shaft pro- Gopes of this patent may be obtained for thrust action on the blades,

ve cents each, by addressing the f Commissioner Washington, D. C.

jected .in the direction of the current and provided with paddles or blades arranged in oppositely disposed pairs, transversely mounted with respect to the said shaft, each pair of the said paddles or blades including a supporting member perpendicular to the said shaft and attached to the shaft, the outer ends of the said member being beveled to an obtuse angle with the flow of the cur` rent, an arm attached to each end of the said member, the said arms being Vextended laterally outward from their respective ends of the member to whichthey are attached and flat blades secured to the obtusely beveled faces of their respective arms.

2. A water wheel having its shaft projected in t-he direction of the current and provided with paddles or blades arranged in oppositely disposed pairs, transversely mounted with respect to the said shaft, each pair of the said rpaddles or blades including a supporting member perpendicular to the said shaft and attached to the shaft, the outer ends of the said member being beveled to an obtuse angle with the flow of current, an arm attached to each end of the said member, the said arms being extended laterally outward from their respectiveends of the member to which they are attached and flat blades secured to the obtusely beveled faces of their respective arms, the said blades including fianges at their outer edges that project forwardly approximately at right angles to the body of the blades.

3. A water wheel having its shaft projected in the direction of the current and provided with paddles or blades arranged in oppositely disposed pairs, transversely mounted with respect to the said shaft, each pair of the said paddles or blades including a supporting member perpendicular to the said shaft and attached toy the shaft, the outer ends of the said member being beveled to an obtuse angle with the flow of current, an arm attached to each end of the said member, the said arms being extended laterally outward from theirV respective ends of the member to which they are attached and flat blades secured to the obtusely beveled faces of their respective arms, the said blades including flanges at their outer edges that project forwardly approximately at right angles to the flanges of each blade including a front water penetrating portion disposed at an acute angle to the shaft and av remaining portion disposed substantially parallel to the Ashaft and the inner edge of the face of the blade.

STANLEY HCKS. 1 lVitnesses:

JESSE S. Hions, SAM E. KLoos.

of Patents',

body of Athe blades, the. 

